


Audaces Fortuna Juvat

by Ochatoame



Series: Audaces Fortuna Juvat [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Founders Era, Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2018-01-09
Packaged: 2019-03-02 13:42:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13319361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ochatoame/pseuds/Ochatoame
Summary: "Fortune Favors The Brave".Uchiha Momoka is a girl of twelve years of age and the time has come where one of the most bloodiest spectacles in modern shinobi history is about to unfold. Nothing is ever as it seems, she begins to realize, but she stubbornly refuses to die or let anyone take advantage of her, but in doing this she has to kill the girl and let the woman be born from ash, fire and smoke. This was her life, so she intended to take the reins and ride it.





	1. FOREWORD

Hello, everyone! Before we begin this tale, there are a few things that I would like to address. This series is based around the time of the Founders Era way after the Founding of the Hidden Villages and when Senju Hashirama was in his prime as Shodai Hokage. Therefore, the setting, characters and situations, mindsets and lifestyles are much different than say, Naruto or Boruto’s era. So, obviously, you won’t see anyone like Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochimaru or any further generations from there. The majority of the cast will be brand new faces, but old faces such as Senju Hashirama, Uchiha Madara, Senju Tobirama, Uzumaki Mito, Uchiha Izuna, Uchiha Hikaku, Senju Toka and Sarutobi Sasuke will make their appearances. It is also worth noting that my POV characters - such as Uchiha Momoka, Senju Toka, Uzumaki Mito, among many others, are not like Uzumaki Naruto or Uzumaki Boruto, so therefore, the POV character’s morals can sometimes be perceived as very questionable. 

Writing a fiction is not enforcing a moral, and to think so, and to start to order people around and berate them on what they should or shouldn’t write isn’t helping anyone. However, I know that certain triggers can affect some people. Of course, content can be disturbing and, in those instances, you need to do whatever makes you comfortable. You need to avoid it. And content creators, as in, myself in this scenario, for example, will make sure I make that clear for people. Because you have the right to avoid things that upset you. Note that since this is the Founders Era and this arc revolves around the first ever Chunin Exams, THERE WILL BE MATURE TOPICS. You may witness:

Alcohol (and alcohol abuse)  
Drugs (and drug abuse)  
Torture  
Gore  
Public Execution (Hanging, beheading)  
Kidnapping  
Animal cruelty (only for self-defense)  
Animal death (only for self-defense)  
Prostitution  
Human Trafficking  
Coarse language  
Implications of suggestive content, sexual intercourse and physical intimacy is implied only.  
Nudity  
Implications and rumors about a character getting involved in cannibalism, nothing is shown.  
Implications and mentions of sexual assault, nothing is shown.  
Murder  
Toxic dynamics/friendships/relationships  
Implications and rumors of incestuous relationships within a certain clan, nothing is shown.  
Mental health issues  
Abuse (physical, mental, emotional, verbal, sexual)  
Child abuse  
Self-injurious behavior (self-harm, eating disorders, etc. Implied only.)  
Suicide, though nothing is explicitly written out.  
Excessive or gratuitous violence  
Death or dying  
Character Death  
Pregnancy/Childbirth, the birthing scenes are not shown.  
Slavery  
Mention of miscarriages, rumors of certain characters having an abortion, nothing is shown.  
Blood  
Discrimination & Prejudice:  
Racism  
Sexism  
Ageism  
Caste Discrimination  
Disability Discrimination  
Employment Discrimination  
Linguistic Discrimination  
Nationality Discrimination  
Regional Discrimination  
Religious Discrimination  
Discrimination against Sexual Orientation  
Discrimination against Marital & Family Status

Now that you have read this, do not say I did not warn you. You have been warned. Before the chapter begins, I will highlight in bold if there are warnings for content that you may not want to see. If you feel uncomfortable about a topic listed above, then this might not be the fic for you.

Although this is a fanfiction of another author's world and does contain another author's characters, please understand that more than half of the plot and unique concepts herein were my original ideas, and some of the events that happen in the story are based off of discussions and headcanons of RP’s that I’ve been involved in, more specifically in Uchiha Hikaku and Senju Toka’s romantic relationship and Hikaku’s backstory as well as the fates of their children. Other than that, everything else are entirely my original ideas. Copying those ideas into your own derivative works can really dishearten a writer and make it harder to produce more material. It’s happened to me before, and it is indeed a horrible feeling that I would very much rather not have to go through again. If you like my story, please don't hesitate to like or review, but please do not steal my original ideas. I have worked very hard for months on end - hell, even a few years - to come up with headcanons for the setting and characters, especially since these characters are Founders Era characters with very little background. It’s not that I’m not happy someone could like my headcanons, it just makes it very easy for fic writers and enthusiasts to steal or rip off a headcanon I worked hard in making, without permission. I appreciate that someone could like me and my works enough to give me publicity, but the idea that people who aren’t so honest or nice could use it is very discouraging. Since this is my first fanfiction, I don’t expect it to be the best piece of literature on earth. I’ve been reading fanfics and several book series for a while, but I’ve honestly been struggling for years to have the confidence to actually work on and post an actual literature piece, so please bear with me here. All I ask is for respect.

With that aside, the writer does not equal the characters! Some ideologies of several characters are very questionable. However, this does not mean I agree with them nor am I supporting them. I am the writer, not the characters. As much as I may want the stories to go in certain directions (deaths, shipping, etc.), I first and foremost want to treat the series as an adaptation to canon and not contradicting it. My hope is that you'll enjoy my writing or become so attached to some of these characters that you may forget they only exist here!

Characters such as Senju Toka, Uzumaki Mito and Sarutobi Sasuke are considered a canon version (there’s barely anything about these characters anyway in a canonical context), and mixed with headcanons of my own, so they will respond in such fashions in situations. There’s not a whole lot of canon on any Founders Era characters, anyway, and a lot of it is just implications, so I can do a lot of whatever I want with them to be honest. My headcanons for these characters are mine. Some of my headcanons for these characters are based around canon and were probably what the author intended me to take from it. Some of my headcanons may completely and/or blatantly ignore canon. Some might just be there because I like them. I’m not saying you have to agree with all my headcanons and I’m not here to shove them down your throat and saying that this or that happened. But you DO have to keep in mind that they will be a part of how I write these characters. Please respect them, even if your opinions differ. I won’t force my headcanons down other people’s throats, because they deserve to have a good time to enjoy fiction however they want to and in return, I won’t let other people tell me how it’s supposed to be enjoyed.

Also, please do not judge how I should write these characters, especially my original characters. I want them to be unique. Criticism is definitely appreciated as long as someone is not rude or condescending about it. If someone is rude or condescending about it, I will not hesitate to delete their comments. As an additional note, there will be characters and new locations that are neither in canon nor of my own creation, but of my friend’s creations, and I will credit their characters to their respectful owners when they appear in a chapter, for I have gotten permission from them to use in this tale. It is a possibility that I will hold a contest and an application form should anyone want to have their Founders Era OC’s into this story, but this is not one hundred percent guaranteed. Please keep that in mind! I will also be opening a sideblog on Tumblr featuring a showcase of home decor, wardrobe, interior design, lifestyles and headcanons about the characters and the world around them within the series if the interest is high enough which I will most definitely link when it is finally created.

There will also be no traditional black-and-white hero vs. villain storyline, as all of the characters present in the story have shades of grey. Politics and religion are not ignored in favor of massive battles, and as stated above, this story does not turn a blind eye to many mature themes. In addition, there will be a large cast of female characters who are just as developed and deep as the male characters, all who are unique and complex in their own way. On a final note, the Narutoverse will be expanded on a LOT more in the series, and it will include whole new original clans (and more familiar faces) with history, lore and whatnot. If you have any questions, feedback, criticism, metas, recommendations, fanart, fanfics (you must ask permission for this), theories or comments, please feel free to submit them in the comments section and please leave a Kudos! 

Now, without further ado, thank you for reading and let us begin!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Sexual Assault Mention (The word is mentioned.) Mention of murder, prostitution and death. Pregnancy.

She had dreamed of enchanted emerald forests, the little animals, elves and fairies that danced around the cloves of beautiful flowers and plump mushrooms. The trees were tall and sturdy, their wooden stumps and wrinkles each telling a unique tale of their own, and when the wind blew and when the leaves rustled along with it, Uchiha Momoka understood what the trees were talking about. She could hear the whispers of the water and the songs of the birds. Sometimes when she chanced upon a cluster of bright red mushrooms with sunkissed yellow spots, she would eagerly look around the base of the mushrooms to see if she could find any golden coins or nuggets there. Her mother had told her that every night, the forest fairies would dance around these mushrooms, and they would dance so rigorously and spiritedly that they didn't notice when the golden dust in their pockets flew out and dropped onto the ground, forming little mountains of wealth for any lucky person who chanced upon them the very next day. But most importantly, what she loved the most about these forests was the emerald green of the leaves - they reminded her of her lady mother's beautiful eyes. She was already missing the freedom and carefree days in the emerald forests, listening to the trees and dancing with the fairies in a childhood that slipped through her fingers like a cloudy, iridescent dream, for every time Momoka slept, the same thing happened after she danced barefoot with flowers and ribbons in her hair in the woodland realms, the world burned.

She could remember it like it had been the day before. 

A pair of feral blood red eyes glowed in the night as the demon fox screeched all it's fury and hatred for the world that caged it, its nine lashing tails whipped through houses like a knife through butter. The stench of death and the sight of people dying all around her had utterly terrified the then five year old girl. For the first time, in a thousand years, the Kyuubi had arisen from it's slumber and unleashed his wrath upon the world. Atop the beast's great head was the man who had tamed it with his eyes, Uchiha Madara, who was said to have hypnotized even the most fearsome creatures of the night with nothing but his red, red eyes. Then, when all seemed to be lost, a man as strong as the forest himself - Senju Hashirama - and a warrior queen with hair as red as blood - Uzumaki Mito - came forth to stop him with all the strength of the woodland realms and the sea, with wooden gods and golden chains of a long dead prophecy ascending to the world. She had sensed and seen it with her own two onyx eyes, and she swore that when she saw them clash, she thought to herself, was this the power of the gods? Then, as the night went on, she remembered the golden glow surrounding the red haired queen and when the light faded away from the sky, Uzumaki Mito arose... and by the gods, she rose.

Momoka awakened with a cold sweat when she could hear her handmaiden calling to her meekly. "Lady Momoka, it is time to rise." Her handmaid said. The girl of twelve stirred underneath her blankets of silk and above the mattress stuffed with feathers. Her raven hair was tressed and wild, but despite her reluctance to rise from her chambers, Uchiha Momoka knew that today was an important day. Shifting reluctantly, she rose from the sheets, clutching her pink ruqun[1] nightgown close to her, the sunlight filtering through her winding warming the bare skin of her arms, neck and the tops of her breasts. Whenever she walked, a pink trail of silk followed her. Two steps forward and Momo reached for her handmaiden and commanded, "Draw a bath. I must look presentable to my father."

Oh, where, oh where did the girl in ribbons go?

"As you say, my lady." her handmaiden bowed to her and went off to do as she bid. Momoka's dormitory consisted of a suite with two adjacent bedrooms with a connected door. No expenses were spared in building or furnishing this space. Each room featured a marble topped bureau and a gorgeous walk-in wardrobe. The four-poster bed was made of the finest wood hung with the wispiest of linens, and the mattress and the blankets were stuffed with feathers while the sheets are silk. The platform bed was naturally extended with surrounding screen panels or tented awnings to provide nighttime enclosure. The canopy bed was thus characterized by a super structure fitted to the top of the bed, which was enclosed with panels and hung with draperies. This room within a room provided private space that was further insulated from drafty quarters. Four-post canopy beds were typically draped with fabric around the outside of the frame that suited to the season. Pongee silk or thick cotton provided insulated during the cold winters; gauze netting, provided relief was from annoying insects during the summer without diminishing the refreshingly cool evening breezes. Silk curtains for the lady's bed were often finely embroidered with decorative and auspicious patterns. Curtains were drawn back during the day with curtain hooks, and the cozy cubicle continued to be utilized for dining, socializing, and other daily activities.

A stuffed chair sat in one corner. In another, a finely polished and fully stocked writing desk waited to be used. The walls were adorned with fine art, often of people in positions of repose. Sometimes they featured dreamy scenes filled with pleasant nymphs or other fantastic or heavenly scenes from nature or the heavens and the worlds beyond that. In another corner of the room rested a little home library consisting of books and scrolls about the histories and secrets of the known world, among other topics such as a guidebook on how to be a proper lady, the arts of war, biographies of influential women, the tales of her clans of both Uchiha and Senju, and tales of dragons[2], tales of women throughout the ages, current and ancient, from the Uzumaki Princess Mito who had shouldered the weight of two foolish yet great men on her shoulders, to the mythical fables surrounding the first kunoichi and creator of ninjutsu, Otsutsuki Kaguya. Women of greatness, not because they were born to it or stumbled upon it, but because they took it for themselves. Whether for good or for evil or just for themselves, they were every bit as important as their male contemporaries; there were just fewer of them. Shadows, after all, were not meant to be seen.

Atop the little bookshelf was a lit incense case with the scent of peaches filling the room with sweetness. Ikebana, bonsai trees, origami and sumi-e paintings were scattered around her chambers and so were her musical instruments. The sound of birdsong and music rang through the sky outside, so Momoka paced over to her balcony to her left and opened the doors as she felt the scent of spring flowers greet her. On her balcony rested several chairs, embroidered teasets, flowers of all sorts arranged in lovely bouquets and her sweet ninneko[3], a tortoiseshell Japanese bobtail named Meeko. The cat's pointed ears perched high and meowed in greeting to her from it's position on the table. Her darling had been bathing in the sun when Meeko padded towards her owner and bumped her head against Momo's hand. Scratching her behind her ears, Meeko purred as Momoka wrapped her arms around her cat and sat down on one of the chairs overlooking the balcony. The sound of flutes and drums in the courtyard below them caught her attention.  
Her family's household and all the people in Konohagakure no Sato - civilian or shinobi alike - had been practicing for the upcoming Glass Banquet and the Chunin Exams. Extending her senses, curious, she noted the singing birds, the scavenging squirrels, the wading cranes and the flowing streams surrounding the complex.  
"Lady Momoka, your bath is prepared." her handmaiden called through the hallway. Releasing Meeko, Momoka followed her handmaiden down the halls until they reached their family's bathing chambers. 

A large swimming pool filled the center of the room, surrounded by small alcoves containing showers, bathtubs, chaises longues or massage tables. Like a mini spa, there was even a sauna and a steam room. No expense had been spared to comfort the residents of her household as fresh aromatic oils scent the spring water, along with a variety of different types of flower petals drifted about the surface. Candles were placed around the room for atmosphere and illuminate it properly. Soothing murals depicted the underwater world and should she request it, there were actually servants around the Palace who tend to her in the pool in various ways, such as a server to bring drinks, a sushi chef and masseuses. Momoka decided to use the alcove where a well decorated and polished bathtub was contained within. The bathroom, more like a bathhouse was decorated quite simple with a sink, a mirror, a Jacuzzi with a shower and a toilet. Incense kept the bathroom in it's function of a place of tranquility every day. 

A large fireplace for heating both the room and the water necessary for a warm bath rested nearby. An intricately carved cabinet held a variety of thick, soft towels, and a handsome wardrobe full of fine dressing gowns stood beside it. Connected to it was a dressing screen that separated part of the room to dress in privacy. A gilt-framed, three-fold, full length mirror took up one corner, and another mirror sat above a gorgeous, polished grooming desk. The desk featured intricately carved woods and the finest silks. Fine stuffed chairs are scattered about the place. The dressing table featured three gilt-framed mirrors and the finest in grooming products, including aromatic perfumes, gilt-handled brushes, and so on. 

Two servants came to greet her - an old woman, small and grey and quiet as a mouse and a fair-haired, blue eyed adolescent girl who chattered constantly as she worked. They'd filled her bath with hot water and scented it with fragrant oils. The girl helped undo the pink ruqun robe and helped her into an alcove containing a bathtub. The water was scorching hot, yet Momoka did not flinch nor cry out. She liked the heat, it made her feel clean. Besides, her father always said that it was never too hot for an Uchiha. "From my ancestry is the blood of dragons and fire. It runs through your veins, my sweet daughter. It is in your blood as it is in mine, Momo-chan." he would say, and Momoka would answer, "Fire can be a destructive force."

"Fire may be a double edged sword, but just as with any other chakra nature, it is also a source of life in it's own way. The flames can warm one's hearth and bring warmth to those who shiver in the dark... and it is said that the priests and priestesses of the Uchiha can see visions within the flames, should they look hard enough." he'd replied.  
"Have you ever seen visions within the flames?" Momoka would ask him, and he would give her a sad smile and answer her question, "No, sweetling. Otherwise, I presume I would have been able to change many things." Her lord father had only ever smiled around his lady wife and his children. To everyone else, he would regard them with a face carved of stone. Uchiha Hikaku had never been a man who offered sunshine and flowers to everyone he knew. According to the gossip amongst the Uchiha, her lord father had not come to the world highborn. He was of the lowest of the low, his leaders had looked at his family as nothing more than more mouths to feed, but when he befriended Uchiha Izuna when they were children, her father slowly climbed the ladder to his fame as the most powerful member of his clan after his leaders that he had sworn with his life to serve. Her father never talked about Izuna, Momoka realized.

Momoka clutched a lotus from the water into the palms of her hands, eyeing it curiously as the old woman washed out her long, raven hair and gently combed out any snags or knots in silence. My father and my mother, like this lotus, rose from the muddy waters of which it originated from and bloomed into beautiful flowers, Momo thought. The girl scrubbed her back and feet and told her how lucky she was.

"Once you are a woman grown, you will marry Uchiha Kagami, or so I've heard. Oh, my lady, the singers will sing songs of great beauty and love that will last for generations, how fierce your husband will be in battle." The servant girl swooned, but Momoka said nothing. Kagami was a kind boy and was the only son of Uchiha Izuna and an Uchiha medic kunoichi, and on his sixth birthday, he was proclaimed to be the heir to the Uchiha throne by her lord father, for Izuna had only ever seen his son once in his lifetime, before Senju Tobirama slew him in battle. Kagami's mother had been murdered by Senju shinobi - without any authority from their leaders - but she'd poisoned them and they died not too long after. My lady mother would have beheaded them for the harm of a woman and threatening to kill her babe, Momoka thought darkly. Regardless, her lord father had taken him in, for Uchiha Madara was in no position to be raising a child... he simply was not in the state of mind, and Uchiha Hikaku had always been fond of children. 

Momoka supposed she wouldn't have minded marrying Kagami, he was a kind boy, they grew up together in the same household, was raised to be a gentleman and taught how to fight, yet she did not truly love him like her mother loved her father. Yet, traditions with the Uchiha were nigh impossible to break, and the line must be kept pure. Kagami and Momoka were not too closely related, but they still had blood relations. Her lord father had wanted to have Momoka as his heiress, but his people would never bow to a half-breed, no less a woman, and as Patriarch, he needed to listen to his people. Oh, why must almost every clan in this world be run by men? The first shinobi to have chakra was Princess Kaguya of the Otsutsuki Ichizoku. Women should stick together and rule, not compete for a man's attention, Momoka thought resentfully. The hybrid had always been a strong willed girl, and her father and mother had always called her "little princess" for it.

Momoka's lips parted to speak, "I desire to see my lady mother first when we are finished here. Where is she?" she demanded calmly, and the girl replied, "She is in her chambers, my lady. Her time is near - your little sister will arrive into the world in a few weeks' time, my lady." Momo smiled softly at that; she'd already had younger three brothers and one younger sister. Her younger twin brothers - quiet and sweet Aiko who wanted to be like Senju Hashirama, strong and gentle, and his loud, boisterious twin Akio who desired to simply live life to the fullest, both of age eight - their younger sister Haruka of age four who dreamed of one day wielding a sword in combat, and another younger brother, Takehiko of age two. Hopefully her new sister would be the last of the brood. Love her siblings she might, but any more in the house would drive her insane. 

Her lady mother, Senju Toka had agreed with her, it seemed. "This will be my last child," she had said firmly, "I have birthed five children into the world, and this beautiful daughter of mine growing within me will be my last." Yet, despite her role as a mother and a lady of the household, this had never erased Toka's prior years as a battle hardened kunoichi and warrior princess of the Senju Ichizoku. Hikaku may have ruled the entirety of the Uchiha Ichizoku, but her lady mother ruled her lord father. Her father had never looked at anyone the way he looked at her mother. Senju Toka was never a woman to bow to a man's will, nor would she ever be forced into marriage, that she had made clear ever since she was a young girl. "I am a girl, and I will marry who I want, when I want," Her lady mother had said once when she'd been a child. Her mother had made sure that all her children, her daughters included, were highly educated and were taught the shinobi ways and the arts, a feat that very few girls - highborn or lowborn - had the chance to grasp. Toka had taught her daughters to be more than just a decoration, to be more than just a breeder for the next generation and the next or a bargaining chip for political marriages in alliances. She'd taught Momoka how to ride horses, how to use weapons and defend herself in combat, but she would teach her younger daughters this, too, when they came of age. Her lady mother had taught her children to be kind, harsh when need be, sensitive, thick-skinned, demure and wild. Like the bears that guarded her home, her lady mother was fiercely protective of her children. Senju Toka was one of the very few women who held the same respect as a man, and the only woman allowed to join and even voice out her opinion in the village assembly when not advising her cousins, a male-dominated affair during this time. 

Her lady mother had her own court, her own personal entourage and her own seal. She had laws passed that prohibited forced prostitution and was known for buying girls who had been sold into prostitution, freeing them, and providing for their future. She closed brothels and made pimping a criminal offense. She created a convent where the ex-prostitutes could support themselves. She also expanded the rights of women in divorce and property ownership, instituted the death penalty for sexual assault, forbade exposure of unwanted infants, gave mothers guardianship rights over their children, and forbade the killing of a wife who committed adultery and the selling of wives and children. Someday, Momoka wanted to be as brilliant and as powerful as Senju Toka.

When she was clean, the servants helped her from the water and toweled her dry. The servant girl brushed her hair until it shone like molten black diamonds, while the old woman anointed her with the peach blossom perfume of Hi no Kuni, a dab on each wrist, behind her ears, on the tips of her breasts, between her legs and moreover her body. They dressed her up in the wisps that she'd liked, and then the deep plum silk kimono robe embroidered with plum blossoms. The girl slid gilded golden sandals onto her feet while the old woman fixed the crown of amethyst crystals and pink and purple flowers in her hair, slid golden bracelets crusted with amethysts around her wrists and applied deep purple eyeshadow on her eyelids and crimson lipstick on her lips. Momoka smiled at them and nodded, "Thank you for your attendence. You may go take a break - you have worked hard today." When they bowed and left, Momoka headed out of the bathing chambers and sensed for her mother's chakra. When spotted, Momo walked down the hallway and into her parents' dormitory to find her mother resting on her back, her long chocolate brown hair spread out above the pillows and bedrolls and her hand was on her swollen belly. Her free hand beckoned her closer, "Come here, Momo-chan." she breathed softly.

Momoka did as her mother bid and sat on her knees beside her. "Mother, are you well?" she asked.

Toka nodded, "I am only ailing from morning sickness, my sweet. Your little sister's giving me a rough time," The Lady of the Senju teased, brushing her fingers through her daughter's hair, "I want to wish you good luck for the Glass Banquet and the Chunin Exams. This is new for all of us. For the Glass Banquet you must dress your best and be courteous to visitors to Konohagakure and practice your dance and songs. For the Chunin Exams you must study and work very hard. You are my daughter and I know that you will be a shining star in the eyes of the people. Your Academy teachers tell me your skills are prodigious but even so you must be careful. Do not grow too confident in yourself or put yourself on a pedestal above all others - this will lead to failure. On talk of failure, even if you do not win, please know that you are still the pride and joy of this family and that we will never be disappointed in you for trying your best. Do not let anyone underestimate you, either. You are stronger than you know."

Momoka's eyes suddenly began welling up with tears and dipped her head so as not to show her mother, but thanks to the dim lightning in the room, Toka could not see them. She blinked them away. The blood of dragons and forests do not weep, she reminded herself and smiled up at her, "Thank you, mother." she murmured, pressing her ear against her mother's belly. She waited for a few minutes until she felt a kick press back. The girl smiled and eyed her mother, "What do you plan on naming her?"  
Toka smiled softly and rubbed at her swollen belly affectionately, "Kimiko." she declared fondly.

Momo nodded in approval before standing up, "I am going to see Father now. Mother, please rest yourself. You mustn't move around too much. The handmaidens are taking care of the rest. Haruka and Takehiko are still fast asleep in their cradles. Aiko and Akio are at Hashirama-sama's household with his children since they had been invited to stay over for the night. They will come back in time for the meeting that Father has prepared for the clan." she informed quietly, pressing a kiss to her mother's forehead. Toka nodded, "You are beginning to sound like your father," Toka teased with a smirk, "I know, my princess. You have inherited my gift for sensing. Make sure to use it wisely."

Momoka nodded, "I will." And with that, she bowed to her mother before leaving the room and heading downstairs to the main floor. Upon reaching the gardens outside, Momo spotted her lord father sipping tea underneath a great peach tree with his katana handle in his hands while the blade touched the ground. A white owl perched on his shoulder and screeched when it saw her in greeting. Beside Hikaku rested Kagami as he laid back against the peach tree, clearly exhausted from the training his adoptive father had put him through. That was a good thing, he needed the training for the Chunin Exams. She dipped her head in respect to her lord father and his heir and her betrothed.

"Father, my lord Kagami," Momo greeted, bowing to them before sitting beside them. Her lord father had a small smile grace his lips, "Momo-chan, Yanagi-sama's been rubbing off on you with the formalities." Momo smirked secretively at him in response. Yamanaka Yanagi had taught her many.. many things, things that most girls would not dream of doing. She would need to attend to her kunoichi classes the day after tomorrow, she reminded herself. Momo folded her hands neatly together, "I trust you are prepared for the upcoming Glass Banquet and the Chunin Exams?" she asked, turning her heads towards Kagami.

The heir nodded, "Yes, I believe I am. Hikaku-sama has been teaching me how to fire dance like my ancestors have for a thousand years." Kagami was handsome, Momo had to admit as she eyed him, and he was only three years older than she was. She nodded in understanding, "I pray to the gods that you will achieve your victory and that your late father will smile upon you, cousin." They were distantly related, but not too closely, either. Kagami smiled at her, "Thank you, Momo-chan. I pray for you as well," he said, "You also look very beautiful today, my lady."

The girl dipped her head in order to hide her flush with her hair. She felt rather odd whenever complimented, but she smiled, "Thank you." she said.  
"The both of you must do your best." Her lord father said to them, "The clan's honor is at hand. At the meeting at the Naka Shrine tonight, you must not speak unless you are told. I want no folly amongst you, and that goes for your younger siblings." He was not speaking to them as their father, but as their Patriarch, his tone strong and firm. Both Kagami and Momoka bowed to him and said in unison, "Yes, Father."

xxx

When the sun set, her handmaidens had told her that she must prepare for the clan meeting, and prepare she did. They stripped her out of her robes for the day and had her dressed in a navy blue furisode with the inevitable Uchiha crest on the back of the collar, but also had orange and red-and-white koi stitched into the silk fabric as well beautiful pale pink water lotuses with deep green lotus pads to accompany them, while the obi was a shimmery silver color. She would have wanted to display the Senju emblem as well, but she knew all too well that her father's people would never take kindly to that, not in their district. Once she descended to the main floor, she found her lady mother dressed in a fuschia furisode decorated with peach blossoms and an orange obi with tree branches and leaves wrapped around the center. Her chocolate brown hair was done up in an elegant updo with a kanzashi consisting of peach blossoms and orange fabrics were tied around them to keep it in place and it hung down to the top of her ear.  
Soon after, her younger twin brothers descended downstairs as well. The older of the twins - Aiko - looked exactly like the perfect mixture of his parents, with his mother's emerald green eyes and his father's navy blue hair. He was dressed in a simple jade yukata with rabbits scurrying across the jade fields and an emerald green scarf wrapped around his neck. The younger of the twins - Akio - looked very similar to Aiko, only his hair was far more spiky than that of his brother. He was clad in a black yukata with a sky blue obi. Beside them stood Kagami clad in a black kimono clad with golden dragons and dragon's flame were stitched all around the fabric. 

Her lord father approached from upstairs with his katana and his gunbai - a sign of leadership of the Uchiha Ichizoku - strapped to his back where the Uchiha emblem emblazoned proudly. Approaching his wife, he pressed a hand on her swollen belly, rubbing gently over their daughter before placing a kiss on her forehead, as if to reassure his wife that everything would be fine and that there was nothing to concern herself about the meeting - for he would always love her, regardless of what any of his people might say. 

Toka gave him a knowing smile in return. Hikaku turned around to face his children as two of the handmaidens assigned to look after the young four-year old Haruka and the two-year old Takehiko carried them downstairs and stayed by their sides at all time, for they would accompany the two younger children. Haruka had raven hair like her older sister and beautiful bright blue eyes originating from an ancestor from her mother's side, she had always been a quiet yet curious, daydreaming girl. She wore a dark blue kimono with bright white stars that littered all over the fabric. Takehiko had all the Senju looks from his mother's side, from the amethyst eyes to the white hair - if one hadn't known his origins, they would easily took him for a Senju - and he was a wild little boy. He wore a simple grey kimono with little rubies embedded into them. Perhaps Akio is rubbing off on him, thought Momo with amusement. Upon everyone settling down, Hikaku raised his voice only slightly, "Remember what I said earlier this morning: No fooling around, no genjutsu pranks-" Hikaku squinted at Akio at that one and the boy grinned sheepishly, "-and do not speak unless you are told. Am I making myself perfectly clear?"

The young ones all bowed in understanding, "Yes, Father," they all said in unison before Hikaku nodded, eyeing Toka as if to say she could add input if she desired and that she did. "If I sense any misbehaviour, you will not be allowed to attend the Glass Banquet, nor the Chunin Exams. Instead, you'll stay at home and do your homework." she warned, directed at the younger ones, and Akio exchanged a nervous glance at Aiko, and the latter shook his head firmly. That definitely set off any inspiration for Akio to pull anything. They all nodded their understanding and with that, they headed out into the night.

The road to the Naka Shrine was nearby the Naka River. The moonlight filtered on the water, making it shine a brilliant silver. A tugging at her kimono sleeve had her turn her head to regard Akio who grinned mischeviously, "Onee-chan, I've heard stories of this witch living deep in the woods," he whispered, "According to legend, the was the wife of a spicer lord, but he died and ever since she made her little hut in the woods. They say she has cat's teeth and three eyes and that she can see the future."  
Aiko shook his head 'no', "Brother, no, we are not going anywhere anytime soon. Do you want to get in trouble?" he asked, furrowing his brows and Momoka nodded in agreement. "Aiko is right, little brother. If this tale rings true, then there would be no point to go and cause trouble for nothing. Do not interfere with a witch, for she may sing curses in her sleep and speak to mad gods when she wakes."

When they finally arrived at the Naka Shrine, the girl eyed the torches streaming towards them. Uchiha shinobi - men, women, children and a few elders - gathered behind them. Hikaku raised his hands and weaved the seals required to open the main hall. Upon entering once the stone blocking the entrance was levitated, the clan descended down the stairs where down below sat two thrones and before them a stone tablet... but this wasn't just any tablet. This was the Uchiha Tablet - the stone monument containing the clan's secrets but could only be read by a certain dojutsu. It was said that Uchiha Madara would sit here for long periods of time with his Mangekyo Sharingan activated and attempt to read the passages, but he could not read everything, though he had deciphered many things. Hikaku lit the torches beside the throne from the flames that emerged from his mouth before he took a seat and his lady wife sat beside him, and their children - and the heir - followed suit.

Upon seating herself on her knees, she recognized several faces. Uchiha Takeo knelt in the back, a cousin of Madara and Izuna, a graceful and charming man who was also known to be quite ruthless and extremely loyal to the clan. A few months after Madara and Izuna ascended to power, he lost his beloved wife in his arms in childbirth and awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan and a few days later his daughter died in the cradle. There were rumors about him taking to a fellow man from the Uzumaki Ichizoku in his bed, and Momo sensed Takeo's chakra had been intertwined with Uzumaki Kenji's when they passed by each other, so it seemed that this was true. The Uchiha, however, didn't need to know that. To Takeo's right knelt Uchiha Bushido, whom although he was deaf and had almost been cast out of the clan as a child[4], his senses were next to none in the clan. He used to fight in the Warring Era alongside his leaders. Stern, blunt and cold, he was quite skilled with the sword. She also recognized Uchiha Rai, Uchiha Baru, Uchiha Setsuna, Uchiha Naka and Uchiha Naori among her father's top and most trusted warriors. There also sat Uchiha Tenjin who was a famous arsonist in the clan and he had worked together with her lady mother when Konohagakure was in it's beginning stages. His sons and daughter - Kaizen, his other sons she did not quite remember the name of and Uchiha Naho, - sat with him. Beside Naho sat Uchiha Kasuza, her long time best friend who was a carefree spirit who loved animals and was definitely not like the other girls her age. Naho was a dainty, feminine young lady with enough charms, wiles and wits for the both of them combined. Momoka recognized her from her kunoichi classes. Four siblings, a sister and three brothers, Uchiha Amaterasu, an acolyte to the priestesses of her people, Uchiha Tatsushiro, nigh a young man and he could fight like a berserker, Uchiha Kuroma, a Genin in the Academy, and Uchiha Shizegane, who joined his brother in the Academy, all sat around their father, Uchiha Rai.

Now that everyone was all gathered murmuring amongst themselves, Hikaku raised his voice. "I praise you all for your quick attendance. Your loyalty will not go overlooked. It is a pleasure hosting you all here within this hall," he began calmly as his wine colored eyes shifted over each and every single member present, "Most of you know why we are here on this night, but for those who are not aware, I am here to tell you that the Glass Banquet is approaching next week and the Chunin Exams after that week is over. We must all be prepared for what may happen. I do not want any provocations with the samurai, the feudal lords or anyone else that enters our woodland realms." On most occasions where he spoke previously, it was more monotone. Now he spoke volumes to earn the clan’s loyalty and great respect, such will be needed to lead them through what is to come. "It has been a long time since we have gathered in this shrine, yet now I must ask that all of you be prepared for what is to come. There will come a time for our people's fireworks that are renowned to be the best in the shinobi world, for our dances with the flames, and for our priests and priestesses able to see within the flames. That will be a time for feast, song, and dance. We shall be gracious hosts to our foreign friends. Furthermore, we must be prepared for the first ever established Chunin Exams. I know that this is a new concept for all of us, but all will be explained when the time comes. Until then, you must hone your skills and teach the world that the Uchiha has never forgotten our ways. Show those who still question that we are still the warriors that are feared and respected throughout the known world, yet in order to do that, we must be united and as unmoving as a mountain. Although I do understand that we all have our differences and personal opinions regarding this new concept, I expect unity between each and every member regardless. Failure to do so will result in a warning. If it happens again, there will be consequences." Hikaku declared firmly. The Uchiha all bowed their heads as if in understanding. The Patriarch of the Uchiha looked over his people, and when he saw that no one had any questions, he parted his lips to speak again, "This meeting is adjourned." 

With that, everyone emerged to leave. When Momo stood up, she felt eyes bore into her back. She was already so used to the feeling that the sting of being prejudiced as a half-breed but it still hurt nonetheless, even more so for her younger siblings.

Half-bloods like her suffered severe prosecution during the Warring States Era and Founding era. The clan - most notoriously the Uchiha, Hyuga and Senju Clans - generally looked down on these children, they were kicked down from the list of priorities of work and income, with better jobs and higher percentages of clan income allocated to pureblood families. Half bloods sired by clan leaders were also greatly distrusted by the clan, and to avoid possible future influence coming from outside the family, half bloods from clan members with prestige and political power were usually disinherited, and if the half blood is sired from a clan leader, succession was to be divested from that family and diverted into another eligible, pure blood family, which was exactly what happened with herself and Kagami, though Hikaku would have never disinherited his own children. Obsessed with blood purity, the Uchiha, Hyuga and Senju clans were known to be sharp and aggressive in their bias and discrimination. Even the pureblood children exercised some of this bias, refusing to play with half-bloods or bullying them. In fact, bullying was common, and more often than not even sanctioned by the adults... and no half-bloods had faced this harder than the children of Uchiha Hikaku and Senju Toka.

For every praise of her lord father and her lady mother, there was a cursing of the Emerald Eyed Demon, the Dancing Amazon. And she wasn’t the only one subject to such names. Abominations, the people would spit at her and her siblings. Children of the Demon. Children of the Amazon. During those times, Momoka would wish that she had never inherited her mother's bloodline; would wish that the Uchiha and the Senju weren’t so petty as to hate her or her siblings for who her father or mother was. She didn’t ask to be born! She didn’t ask to bear both her father and mother's bloodlines! It just wasn’t fair!

Foolish girl, this world is not fair.

Yet the Uchiha may have respected her lord father and called him The Last Dragon on his coronation day, they would never forget that he took a Senju princess to wife and fathered her children, but there were still a few "oddballs" in the clan that simply did not care about bloodlines. They were only children, and this was no longer the Warring Era. These so-called "oddballs" were also loyalists to her lord father, having sworn their allegiance to him the night that Uchiha Madara had attacked the village, for it was no other than Uchiha Hikaku who caused his people to fight back against the one who turned his back on them. He may have been lowborn, but he had climbed the ladder to power and he grasped it with his own two hands... though he had never asked to be their leader.

I will prove myself to you all, and I will teach you to fear and respect me, Momo thought as she eyed her father's people before ascending to the earth. On the walk home, now that Momoka could see, she noted that her younger siblings were silent. They recieved the glares, too, Momo thought sadly. Hikaku wrapped an arm around his lady wife and pressed a kiss on her cheek, "I am sorry, Toka. I should not have brought you along, you did not have to feel that way when they glared at you." he whispered softly to her and Toka nodded, "I am used to it, fear not." Toka said calmly, though there was a hint of acid in her tone directed at the Uchiha folk, for most of the Uchiha hated their new Matriarch even more than they did her children.

When they reached their household, it was time to go to bed, Momoka stripped out of her furisode and put on her bed robes and kissed her brothers and sister, her lord father and her lord mother goodnight. Meeko crept in her dormitory from the balcony and snuggled with her the moment she tucked herself in, feeling the ninneko cuddle up beside her. When sleep took her, she dreamed the emerald dream... and then she dreamed of a feast for the crows, the water flowed crimson, the trees had faces carved into them, and they wept blood... and then a voice. The sound of a woman. "Beware the nine tailed demon, the sand's storm, the ice creature with red eyes, the lion, the willow tree, and the dark flame. They are all coming for you." she said and Momoka knew naught of what to say, and before something could part from her lips, the voice said no more... and then she dreamed of ice, fire, forests... and dragons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello everyone!! Thank you so much for reading! This is the first chapter everyone! I'm really excited and nervous at the same time, but hopefully this chapter was enjoyable. I know that it's a bit of slice-of-lifeesque but I just thought i could be important for people to understand the type of world Momoka lives in and introduces her to the audience. I'm sure you noticed [] with numbers in them, it's something that I'd like to point out. Whenever you see a [(insert number here)], it means there's a little additional note concerning that word or that concept.  
> [1] = Ruqun. A ruqun is a type of Chinese hanfu which is basically traditional Chinese clothing during Imperial China. A lot of you might be thinking "Why on earth is Momoka wearing a clothing from another country entirely?" Well, there's a headcanon of mine that since Buddhism actually did not originate in Japan, but in India and was brought to Japan via China, the Senju were the only clan that seemed to have ties to Buddhism, and so therefore the idea is that the Senju people wear hanfu as well as kimono. The Senju are quite a fashionable bunch. Also, keep in mind that the Narutoverse is fictional and I will not be too into historical accuracy.
> 
> [2] = Tales of dragons. There's also this headcanon of mine that for centuries the Uchiha mastered the ability to tame and ride dragons, and they conquered other shinobi clans with them and they created a wealthy empire out of their conquests, until the dragons died several decades before Audaces Fortuna Juvat begins. The Uchiha lost their wealth from the empire since, but the Uchiha still honed their Sharingan and their arts in warfare. The dragons may be gone, but the Uchiha are not.
> 
> [3] = Ninneko are shinobi cats able to work with shinobi due to their keen senses and unusual flexibility. Ninneko are responsible for providing security to the city of Sora-ku's various black marketeers, observing those who visit the city and, if they mean ill, causing them to become lost. In my headcanon, some ninneko swear their service to the Uchiha Ichizoku and to get a ninneko for a familiar is rare for anyone else other than an Uchiha. They are stated to remove their scent during their standard grooming in order to allow them to move around undetected. They display the ability to use fleas as projectiles and their food as a clone. They can use taijutsu and ninjutsu.
> 
> [4] = During the Era of Warring States, the children of the Uchiha Clan are bred in a specific manner as each child are looked at for defects, flaws, or diseases. If a child is born with any type of defect they would be terminated, for the use within the Uchiha Clan is not permitted and considered as useless. Yet, there are very few who break this tradition, and Uchiha Bushido is one of them.
> 
> Uchiha Madara, Uzumaki Mito, Senju Hashirama, Uchiha Hikaku, Senju Toka, Senju Tobirama, Uchiha Izuna, Uchiha Rai, Uchiha Naori, Uchiha Naka, Uchiha Setsuna, Uchiha Kagami, Kurama © Masashi Kishimoto.  
> Uchiha Momoka, Uchiha Haruka, Uchiha Takehiko, Uchiha Kimiko, Uchiha Takeo, Uchiha Bushido, Uchiha Amaterasu, Uchiha Tatsuhiro, Uchiha Kuroma, Uchiha Shizegane, Meeko, unnamed servants © Myself.  
> Uchiha Aiko and Uchiha Akio © Emocean and myself.  
> Yamanaka Yanagi, Uchiha Tenjin, Uchiha Kaizen, Uchiha Naho, Uchiha Kazusa. © fireheartedfather aka ProfessorPalmaRosa on fanfiction.net.
> 
> It's also worth noting that I have this headcanon that Toka was more than your ordinary kunoichi. Not only was she a warrior princess and one of the very few kunoichi who had as much respect as a man, but she was also very politically astute and she knew things that most women of the timeline only dreamed of doing. She did a lot of good things, and she's quite the feminist. Toka is also definitely not her husband's little wife doing all the work for him. They work together and they treat each other equally and with respect. I'd also like to think that since Hikaku was born as the lowest of the low and rose to become leader of the Uchiha after Madara supposedly died, a lot of people were afraid of him. After all, how many lowborn people can claim the title of leadership of the Uchiha? This chapter took forever to do! LMAO But uhm, I hope you guys enjoy it, I really enjoyed writing it. I also don't like to believe that everyone was all happy-go-lucky by the time Konoha was founded, that's just not realistic. I also wanted to show a side to the clans of Konoha that weren't exactly accepting of half-bloods. Please tell me what you think, leave a Kudos if you enjoyed reading this and I'll see you next time! Ochatoame, out!


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